In March 2011, a devastating earthquake and tsunami hit Japan, and triggered a radiation crisis in the Fukushima prefecture. The country is still striving to clean up and rebuild the homes and businesses that were swept away two years ago. However, due to complications people are still living in temporary housing sites without knowing if they can ever return home.

We understand that after some time passes, these big disasters drift from our consciousness. But to keep the victims in our hearts, Korin has dedicated all proceeds derived from knife services in March to donate to relief funds to aid Japan. We have been doing this for the past two years and last year we were able to donate $6,250.00 to the Japan Society Relief Fund!

Help Japan one knife at a time!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SS-sWdAQsYg
This very moving youtube video was made in November 2011. If you check out the comments below, there are many Japanese people still thanking everyone for the help.
... I cried watching this video. LOL

Being how I don't live in Japan nor is my family from that region of Japan, I had to research a little about what is going on two years later. And as I mentioned before, these disaster escape our thoughts after mass media stops covering them in the news. But despite how 2 years have passed and Japan is not thrown into social chaos or anything media worthy, anonymous donators have exemplified altruism at it's best.

My favorite article from this year:

"Japan's disadvantaged children have become the beneficiaries of a bout of anonymous philanthropy that has spread to almost 100 locations across the country.

The source of the generosity: much-loved manga characters whose battles against adversity have inspired generations of comic lovers.

The gift-giving spree began on Christmas Day when a donation of 10 school bags – sturdy leather satchels costing up to several hundred pounds each – were left in front of a child welfare centre.

A note identified the donor only as Naoto Date, the protagonist in Tiger Mask, a cartoon series about a professional wrestler.

In the series, which appeared in a weekly magazine in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Naoto Date anonymously donates his winnings from a successful career in the ring to the orphanage where he grew up.

Donations have been left at more than 90 children's homes, schools, welfare facilities and even police stations, according to local media. Notable gifts include packages of expensive toys, food parcels and 200,000 yen (£1,500) worth of gift tokens.

In one instance, the yen equivalent of £750 was left in a supermarket customer comments box. A message, again from "Naoto Date", said: "There are Tiger Masks all over the country. Please use this for children, who have a future."
- http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/12/manga-donations-japanese-children